Means for the operation of pumping



J. LELL 1,941,845

MEANS FOR THE OPERATION OF PUMPING ACCUMULATQR PLANTS Jan. 2, 1934.

Filed June 15, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 2, 1934. J, LELL 1,941,845

MEANS FOR THE OPERATION OF PUMPING ACCUMULATOR PLANTS Filed June 15, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /fff Z' /N VEN TOR Patented Jan. 2, 1934 MEANS FOR THE OPERATION OF PUMPING i ACCUMULATOR PLANTS Jacob Lell, Heidenheimassignor to American Inc., York on-the-Brenz, Germany,

Voith Contact Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Application June 15, 1931, Serial No. 544,426, and in GermanyJune 23, 1930 claims.

This invention relates to pumping accumulator plants. It is known that such plants consist, generally, of a turbine operated by Water received from a suitable head,`an electrical ma- 5 chine driven by the turbine to generate electrical energy and which at the same time can function as a motor for the production of mechanical power, and a pump which is driven by this motor to pump water into the upper reservoir, (which serves as a pressure head), from a lower reservoir (as, vfor instance, the tail water of the turbine), at times wheny there isan extra supply of electrical energy, whereby such water, pumped to the upper reservoir" may, by direct action, `serve to drive the turbine and thus to generate power.

With the described arrangement, -it has been found that at certain times the pump does' not perform its full oiice inthe system because itis not driven to capacity `due to the lower power in the circuit or net; and while it may be possible to maintain the pumping action at less than capacity, this lessened action must be accomplishedl by regulating the power, which is done, as a rule, by decreasing the Vflow openings inthe pump or, by partly closing a valve in the pressure conduit, that is, lby throttling down the pump. It is known that by such methods lof regulation great energy losses result, andthat the control appliances are subjected to considerable strains which frequently give rise to vibrational shocks to the pump, and these readily transform themselves into important injuries to the entire plant; Furthermore, by'such methods of regulation, the motive power for operating the pump and hence the ability of the 'pump to maintain the system decreases accumulatively with each downwardly throttling action. It is quite essential to operate the pump at all times, when it is being operated, at its full capacity in order not to subject the entire plant to damage and costly decrease in efficiency.

Various proposals to solve this difficulty and to maintain the quiet operation of the pump, `have met with little success.

The object of the invention is to provide methods and means to overcome these difculties. For this purpose, the invention consists in combining with pumping accumulator plants, means to maintain constant the pumping emciency of the pump, and the novel method consists in so cooperatively operating the assembled mechanical elements to maintain constant the working efficiency of the pump of the pumping accumulator plant.

The invention will be further described in connection with certain embodiments thereof shown in the drawings, and finally claimed in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:- Figure'l is a diagrammatic View of a pumping accumulator plant, showing one embodiment of my invention applied thereto;

Figures 2 to 6 show similar views, each presenting a different embodiment, and the embodiment shown in Fig. 6 may be applied in the -65 manner shown in Figures 1 to 5. n

rSimilar characters of reference show correspending parts throughout the various views.

Referring to the drawings and more particularly to Figure 1, the known pumping accumulator plant consists of a turbine 10, a generatorand motor 11, and a pump v12. The turbine 10 is coupled to the generator 11, and the generatormotor 11 is coupled to the pump 12. Theturbine 10 is connected with a supply conduit 13,A leading from a supply reservoir 14, and is connected with a tail water conduit 15 discharging into the tail rwater reservoir 18. The pump 12 is connected with a conduit 16 leading to the tail water reser- Void 18, and is also connected with a conduit 17 through which water is supplied tothe reservoir 14. Such an arrangement of known parts is shown in each of the drawings. n In Figure l, one embodiment of my invention is shown in that a supplementary turbine 20 is provided which receives its water supply from the upper reservoir by a conduit 21 and isconnectedby a tail water conduit 20 with the reservoir 18. By suitable power transmission mechago nism 22423-24, mechanical energy is transmitted from the turbine 20,110 the pump 12so as to compensate for any deficiency in power resulting from lessA than full electrical energy in the s circuit or net 25-26--27, connected to drive Jthe I motor 11, by conductors 25a, 26a, and 27a. Any suitable power transmission means may be substituted for the disclosed transmission parts 22- :Z3- 24. In this case, the turbine l() can-be uncoupled from i he generator 11; or it may remain coupled for idle operation.

In Figure 2, the additional turbine 20 receives its Water supply through the conduit 21. In this example, however, the shaft of turbine 20 is made common with lthe shaft of the pump 12; that is to say, the turbine 20 and pump 12 have a common shaft which is indicated at 29. Whatever deficiency may exist in the electrical power circuit 25-26-2'7, and in the effect upon the motor 11, is made up by the effect of the additional turbine 20, all in a manner as described in connection with the example shown in Figure 1.

Instead of placing the additional turbine upon a shaft common with 'that of the pump, the additional turbine 20 may be arranged upon the main turbine'shaft 30, as shown in Figure 3, whereby to aid the effect of the main turbine, and as the pump shaft is coupled to the turbine through lthe intermediary of the generator-motor shaft, the full effect upon the pump shaft-andhence ythe full working effect of the pump are attained. Instead of having the two turbines separate from each other, the special turbine may be made .as a part 31 of the main turbine 10,.as.shown,in Figure 4.

In another embodiment, the special turbine 20 is again arranged free of the mainuturbine, and is now connected with an additional generator'fSZ, either by a common shaft or any otherzmhrcal transmission and the additional generator suppliesl its generated :power `to the circuit 25.-26-21 .as `shown in Figure 1,57 lthereby augmenting the power of the same, and the joint pcwer'then operates the'motor `1 1 and .hencettbepump 12 tat-its -fulllpumping capacity. 'Ihe conductors 3.3-34-35 of the additional generator,suppl-yl the additional power into the `supply.net and thus augment v the poweri supplied to the generator l 1. ,In the ,foregoing embodiments, Vthe additional l,turbine ,is suppliedwith .water pressure :through a conduit 21 connected .with the --upper -resklext-voir 1,4.

Theaclditional ,turbine. 20 may be ,suppliedy with watendirectly -from thefpump 1-2 -by-means. of a branch; pipe V3-.-,connected with-theconduit 17 at ,or-near the discharge of the pumpinto said con- `-duit1?7,.asshowrrin Figure 6. The power generated yfrom .-this additional lturbine ,2,0 may i then l.be `transmitted: either, -asshown in Figure y1, by ,having the turbine VA2,0.separate -fromthe pump `,shaft v,but .connected -by suitable .intermediate rmeans; .O r, asshown: inligure 2, by havingv theadditipnal turbine shaft common y,with the pump shaft; or, as showntin'Figu-re, lai/having the ad- 45 ,.ditionalturbine `shaft commonwith thamainturbine shaft; or, .as inligure 4, with thetwotnrbines combined; or, as V,inligure.5, withthe additional turbine combined `with anadditional generator, These arrangementsare ynot ,speciallyshowu as they may `be fully comprehendedy from an inspection of Figures 1 to 5, Vin connection With Figure'6.

When -the special turbine Ais formed, as` apart ofthe main turbine'as stated, these turbines can be arranged in-the'form of two or more separate turbines connected with each other. The s ubdivision of energy necessary to make up the deciency, is so arranged that the energy deemed necessary to be covered 'isbrought into being eitherrfrom 'the smaller or the larger additional turbine,4 or from-the entire main turbine, depending upon the amount of additional energy required,-takin g the smaller turbine when-thereis a relatively smalldeciency or the'larger turbine -when there is a -relatively large deficiency. In each case that particular turbine or combination of turbines, is used, whether larger or smaller, which will produce the required amount of energy with the best results as to efliciency. Thus the fluctuations in the electrical energies applied to the motor of the pump can be compensated by the use of the turbine or combination of turbines just described. As the danger. of corrosion does not exist in turbines even when operated at considerably less than their full load, the main tur- Yrnetlnnd. and means for covering by means of an additional or special turbine, the energy which is not available from the power net to drive the Lpumpatgfull capacity, this turbine being fed by the water of the upper reservoir, or from the pressure produced by the pump, and thereby the lpump-isfsupp1ied .with the energy necessary to operate it at al1 times at full load.

,Itiscf course known that in plants of this kind, the pump is usually operated from the `electrical circuit vduring the night or at 4such times .when surplus power is available from. the

I,transmission,ori distributionlines, that is, when Athe power is cheap. Usually, when the mainturbirre operatesto-generate electrical power inthe generatorto `supply the ,transmission-or distribution lines, .the pump is -not pumping. At suchtimes when `the pump .is ybeing operated ,to pump, and the Aelectrical,energy-of .the circuit is `too low yto give the pump, itstfull .pumping capacity, .then the .before-described invention comes intoefiect I have i described various embodiments y of my invention, vbut other embodiments will ,make

themselves apparent rto one .skilled :ill the ,art vThe principle yof fthe, invention .is ,the maintenance :in amumping accumulator plant,;.of.a constant motivepower upon the pump rto operate itat all ltimes at -full load lby y.the instrumentality ,of .the

.means described, as defined in the appended .-claims.

Iclaim: .1. In apumping accumulator plant comprising a.pumpfagenerator-motor..operating said pump and supplying 4electrical 'current .to power .lines .and 5a yturbine -operating .said generator-motor;

fan-,additional -water turbine supplied by said vpur-np and operatively :connected therewith .to :compensate for deGiencyinthe-power net, t0 v0n- .erate-said pump at substantially f ullload, .and :thereby Vfmaininin nfxaznimurn operating efficiency ofrthenump.

y2. In `a krhydro-electricaccumulator `plant .hav-

ing a -turbi-ne operated `generator-motor .and a pump operated by said motor an additional turybine adapted vtube-coupled .with Ythe -pump and operable to compensate `for `the deiiciencyincur- :rent supply for the generator-motor upon l occasions fcf heavy vvdemand `to thereby operate the :pump uit maximum capacity and Water .supply connections between both of-said turbines of a common water head.

3. lIn :a @pumping .accumulator plant comprising a turbine, generator-motor, vand pump, the

vcombination therewith of `an additional turbine suppl-ying a -power Vsufficient-,to rmake up the deficiency betweenthat needed to operate the pump atfsubstantially fullload and that of the power net which operates the motor.- in `which the added turbine is operated directly by the water pressure produced lby vthe pump.

4. In al pumping accumulator plant comprising a turbine, generator-motor, andpump, the combination therewith of an additional `turbine supplying a power sufficient to make up the deficiency between that needed to operate the pump at substantially full load and that of the power net, which operates the motor, in which the additional turbine is axially displaced from the pump and operatively connected by mechanical means with one end of the pump shaft.

In a pumping accumulator plant comprising' a turbine, generator-motor, and pump, the combination therewith of an additional turbine supplying a power suicient to make up the deficency between that needed to operate the pump 

